Six of 11 paid internships in one division of the Justice Department were deliberately filled by family members of DOJ staff in 2010, according to a new report from the department's internal watchdog.

The internships paid salaries of up to $40,000 and often led to full-time work, according to Law Blog.

The report also found eight current or former Justice Department officials manipulated the hiring process so their children or colleagues' children got permanent jobs within the department.

The report, which was first covered by The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog, also found that in at least one case "two senior officials simultaneously attempted to assist each other's relative in securing DOJ employment."

If true, these allegations mean Justice Department officials have broken federal law that prohibits nepotism.

This isn't the first time the department has come under fire for its questionable hiring practices. Back in 2004 and 2008, the DOJ's internal watchdog alleged the department's Justice Management Division hired or promoted family members.

Each time the officials implicated in the probe promised to change, Law Blog reported Thursday.

This time around, Assistant Attorney General for the Administration Lee Lofthus called the report "troubling," since it "identified hiring improprieties for the third time in eight years," according to Law Blog.